1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a wind power installation comprising a ring generator and a housing having a heat-conducting housing portion in the region of the ring generator.
2. Description of the Related Art
The conversion of energy regularly involves losses in the form of heat. That naturally also applies in regard to the conversion of the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical energy in the generator of a wind power installation, those losses also regularly occurring in the main drive train of the wind power installation. In the main drive train which is disposed in the pod of the wind power installation, the losses occur for the major part in the generator.
Hitherto that heat due to energy losses has been discharged to the ambient atmosphere by using fans, either by cold air being sucked in from the exterior or by the heated air being circulated within the pylon and the heat being discharged to the exterior by way of the wall of the pylon.
DD 256 169 which is considered to be the most relevant state of the art discloses a wind power installation having a ring generator whose stator is accommodated in positively locking relationship by a so-called converter housing (pod) which in turn is provided with cooling plates.
That known structure however suffers from the disadvantage that mechanical vibrations and oscillations of the generator can be perceived as acoustic disturbance and interference.